From: DAWGFACE47@w...
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 12:33:19 -0600 (CST)
Subject: BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK
(DROPPING INTO THE NORMAL SPACE/TIME CONTINIUM, WITH TRANSPONDER SQUAWKING SHIP NAME, AND REGISTRATION DAWGIE ARRIVES IN-SYSTEM) well, as most folks know (that know me) i would rather fight a small scale action on world or in space than an army level planetary invasion or massive fleet engagement. sooo, i offer up the barebones of a desperate small scale fight in the starsystem and universe of your choice. said star system must have at least one gas giant to allow incoming vessels to skim fuel from the atmosphere (frontier refuelling). star system should also include a world suitable for humans to colonize. 1. THE SPACE BATTLE; to fight this space battle you will need a table top, at least 3-ft by 3-ft to so the combatants can zoom about in near orbit of the gas giant and something to indicate the gas giant itself. a. a vessel to represent a 1,000 metric ton custom designed corsair, its complement of small craft,and space fighters of some sort. b. a pair of spacecraft to represent the vessels used to transport the defense forces boarding party, and the escorting space fighters. c. something to indicate the members of the defense forces boarding party as they use EVA jetpacks to move from their tranports to the hull of the corsair. d. rules for fighting 0-g and 0-atmosphere , etc, combats, etc.) 2. THE BOARDING ACTION; depending on how the commanders (corsair and defense forces react) to events unfolding, you might also find your self in need of suitable miniatures to represent the members of the boarding party, defending corsair gunslingers, and technical crew, as well as a 25mm/28mm or even 15mm scale deck plan of the corsair. 3. THE ASTEROID STATION; should things go down the tubes for the defense forces spacecraft and the boarding party, you might find it useful to have on hand: a. a deck plan of the defense forces asteroid station in 15mm, 25mm or 28mm. b. suitable miniatures to represent the defending station personnel, and the corsair boarding party! c. deck plans for any corsair or defense forces small craft (cutters, pinnaces, etc, used to transort boarding parties). d. terrain to represent the surface of the asteroid itself, as well as rules for 0-g and 0-atmosphere combats, etc) ------------------------------------------------------ PDF BLACKROCK SITREP ------------------------------------------------------ PDF BLACKROCK STATION is concealed inside of an asteroid orbiting the gas giant. it is here to monitor and enforce the local government's policy of charging transient vessels for using the gas giant's atmosphere for what would other wise be free refuelling, conduct routine searches for contraband, conduct safety routine inspections of shipping, provided assistance if needed, and piracy suppresion mission. it is BORING DUTY, a 12 month tour, broken by a leave every six month for personnel assigned here. most of the personnel a techie types from the PDF DEEP SPACE COMMAND, but there is also a platoon of PDF GROUND FORCES COMMAND hostile environment trained grunts assigned to provide muscle for any boarding parties, if needs be. the total complement assigned to the station is 120 bods of all types (including your grunt platoon). PDF BLACKROCK has 12 pop-up triple turrets for space defense , that cover the rock from all angles. these turrets each have a magazine and independent battery power source good for 12 hours. they can be fought from the TOC of the station, or by local gunner control. they are manned only when the station goes to ACTION STATIONS, or for drills. 1-G internal gravity is maintained through out the station by an artificial gravity field generator. PDF BLACKROCK has a pressurized interior docking bay equipped to service 6 - 12 small space fighters (6 are assigned) and 4 armed cutters (2 are assigned). fighters are single seaters. cutters require a crew of 5 (pilot, co-pilot, gunner, and 2 cargomasters) and can carry up to 20 fully armed soldiers in hostile environment gear with EVA jetpacks, or a mix of soldiers / SPACE COMMAND spacers . the nearest avaiable help is 7 days away. a 1,000 tonner spacer has entered the system and is now proceeding toward the gas giant to apparently conduct frontier refuelling. the vessel DOES NOT have its transponder squawking as required by law, and does not answer any commo attempts. CO has made the decision to launch both cutters ( with 5 spacers and 10 soldiers in addition to flight crews) to investigate. after a slight delay, and at the urging of the XO, the station has also launched all 6 space fighters as an escort, and gone to BATTLE STATIONS. ------------------------------------------------------ SITREP CORSAIR LADY BE GOOD ------------------------------------------------------ LADY BE GOOD is a custom built 1,000 metric ton corsair. the hull is armored, and streamlined, with 10 concealed pop-up triple turrets providing firepower all aound. smart, fast and agile, with a transponder capable of showing many "faces", but low on fuel when she jumps into the system. she is also "hungry" as the prey have eluded the corsair so far this cruise. skimming fuel will require 12 hours. this is the FIRST TIME the LADY BE GOOD has been in this system, and the skipper decided to run "blacked out" to the advertised gas giant for a frontier refuelling, maybe a prowlabout, before going elsewhere. getting pinged approaching orbit of the gas giant came as a bit of a shock, as the data for the system indicated a mining and agricultural colony settled less than 20 years ago, with only orbital customs patrols. the skipper has refused to answer any commo attempts from a nearby (but unscanned!) vessel IDing itself as PDF BLACKROCK. within the 2 hours, the LADY BE GOOD's sensory array detects, 8 bogies closing at a leisurely 3 gees, 2 (no doubt armed) pinnaces and six small fighters of some sort. a rather nasal voice is instructing the LADY BE GOOD to heave to and be boarded by PDF vessels. with not enough fuel to jump out system, and refuelling not even begun, the skipper has a fight on his hands.... LADY BE GOOD has boat bays for 4 ea pinnaces and 6 ea small space fighters, which appear to be easy access cargo locks. from the outside she looks like a 1000 tonner merchant ship. she has a flight crew 50 spacers, with a boarding party consisting of 40 gunslingers for boarding actions and surface duties. the LADY BE GOOD will continue to play "dead" until the PDF pinnaces pull alongside, allow the boarding party ino the aft cargo lock, and ambush them! at the same time, she will accelerate away from the PDF pinnaces and escorting fighters, pop her concealed weapons turrets and commence shooting at them. last but not least, the 6 space fighters will launch and join the fight. have fun! DAWGIE